LOS ANGELES – A Delta Air Lines (DL) flight from Los Angeles (LAX) to Sydney (SYD) was forced to return shortly after takeoff on Saturday night, February 22, 2025, when smoke was detected in the aircraft’s rear galley.
The Airbus A350-900 with registration N514DN was operating flight DL43 with 162 passengers and 15 crew members on board. Flight DL43 took off from Runway 25R at 9:04 p.m.
However, while climbing out over the Pacific Ocean, the crew stopped their ascent at 10,000 feet (3,000m) after cabin crew reported smoke in the rear galley. Soon after, the pilots assessed the situation and decided to return to Los Angeles.
Photo: Clément AlloingReturn to Los Angeles
Flight DL43 turned back east, crossed the coastline near Long Beach, and made a left-hand approach back into LAX. The A350 safely landed on Runway 25R at 9:32 p.m., just 28 minutes after departure.
Upon landing, the flight crew confirmed that the reported smoke was no longer active, and there were no cockpit warnings indicating an ongoing fire.
However, as a precaution, the crew requested airport fire services to escort the aircraft to the gate and medical personnel to be available in case of smoke inhalation cases.
Photo: Delta Air LinesPassenger Accommodation and Investigation
Following the incident, Delta canceled the flight to Sydney, and all 162 passengers were re-accommodated on an alternative flight. The airline issued a statement emphasizing that passenger and crew safety is their top priority.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our customers and people. That’s why the flight crew followed established procedures to return to Los Angeles (LAX) after smoke was detected in the galley. We apologize to our customers for the delay in their travels,” stated an airline spokesperson.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the smoke. Meanwhile, the Airbus A350-900 involved in the incident was later repositioned to Atlanta-Hartsfield (ATL) as DL395 on February 23 and returned to Los Angeles as DL93 on February 24.
Photo: Clément AlloingSimilar Incidents
On December 28, 2024, a United Boeing 757-300 en route from Chicago O’Hare (ORD) to Phoenix Sky Harbor (PHX) was forced to divert to Albuquerque International Sunport (ABQ) after the crew reported smoke in the cockpit.
The flight took off at 3:43 PM UTC and was airborne for about two and a half hours before the pilots decided to make a precautionary landing in Albuquerque at 6:43 AM UTC.
Despite the smoke incident, no emergency was declared, and the aircraft landed safely. The FAA has also launched an investigation into this incident to determine the exact cause of the issue.
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The post Delta Flight to Sydney Returns to LAX After Smoke Detected Midair appeared first on Aviation A2Z.
